Model-Driven Software Performance Assessment via Preliminary Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Model-driven engineering often results in software development processes that fail to meet performance demands due to late-stage performance analyses, leading to costly redesigns and complex communication between performance experts and developers.

Innovation Solution

A system that determines a development model, performance analysis model, and modification constraint profile to calculate performance assessment data, providing a performance assessment model for improving software process execution without requiring extensive performance expertise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If performance analysis is performed at late stage of software development, then performance assessment accuracy is improved, but development time and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance assessment accuracyVSAvoiddevelopment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs performance analysis at the model level before actual software implementation, allowing developers to assess performance characteristics and make optimizations early in the development process. This preliminary action avoids the need for late-stage performance testing and redesign by predicting performance issues before code is written.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a performance analysis model that is a simplified copy or abstraction of the actual software system. This model can be analyzed for performance without executing the full software, enabling early performance assessment without the time cost of running complete software iterations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If performance analysis is performed at late stage of software development, then performance assessment accuracy is improved, but redesign cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance assessment accuracyVSAvoidredesign cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By performing performance analysis on the development model before software implementation, the system identifies performance issues when changes are inexpensive to make. This preliminary assessment prevents costly redesigns that would be necessary if performance problems were discovered after software deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The performance analysis model serves as a low-cost proxy for evaluating software performance. Analyzing this model is much cheaper than implementing and testing actual software, allowing multiple design iterations without significant cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If performance expert communication is involved, then performance analysis quality is improved, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance analysis qualityVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables developers to perform their own performance analysis using automated tools that evaluate the development model. This self-service approach eliminates the need for specialized performance experts while maintaining analysis quality through systematic automated assessment of performance characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical process of human expert consultation with an automated computational analysis system. The performance analysis model and evaluation algorithms automatically assess performance without requiring human experts, simplifying the process while maintaining objective quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8276112B2Performance-related decision support for model-driven engineering

Publication Date: 2012.09.25 SAP SE

AI summary

A performance analysis model may be determined based on a development model associated with development of a software process, the development model defining an execution of the software process, and the performance analysis model being annotated with performance data characterizing the execution. At least one user-specified performance profile characterizing performance parameters associated with an improved execution of the software process according to the development model may be determined. An assessment computation model may be determined, using the performance analysis model and the at least one user-specified performance profile. At least one performance-based characteristic associated with the improved execution of the software process according to the development model may be determined. A performance assessment model may be determined using the assessment computation model and the performance-based characteristic, for use in modifying the development model based on the performance assessment model to obtain the improved execution of the software process.